Envelope Filter Roundup.

The Meatball takes it! Just wish i could float the $ for one. Bigfeet, what was your experience with the mutator?

 

Hey BF, I see that the search continues...with no end in sight. Now you are taking the "reach critical mass" and narrow down the pool approach. Good idea. I'm no expert, but I've tried some of those that you have listed and would recommend the following but put them in different categories. It really depends on your budget and how you intend to use it. I go more for the old skool funky tone.

I have experience with
Boss Bass Synth
EH Q-tron and Q-tron+
Lovetone Meatball
EH Bassballs
Mutron3+

BTW, you forgot

The ORIGINAL Mu-Tron III (shame on you!)
Mu-Tron Micro V
Beigel Sound Labs Control Filter
Maestro/Oberheim Filter/Sample/Hold
Ibanez AF201/ AF9

I now only have two: a Meatball and Ibanez AF201 and am pretty happy....for now.

Good luck!

 

What store in CA?

 

Don't forget the EBS BassIQ. I have one and I really love it.

-KB

 

They already made one of those BF....it's called a Sherman filter bank. It's pretty much an studio-industry standard. http://www.sherman.be/
Ok, maybe not the whole floor but that thing looks crazy....

Where's the:
Menatone Mailbomb
Chunk systems Agent 00Funk
Frostwave funk-a-duck
Guyatone Br-2 +Flip Funky box
Peavey Spectrum analog filter
Boss T-wah
MXR EV follower

Keep in mind that some of these fantastic looking filters are USELESS for bass guitar, especially in a live context. Allot of them are meant more for studio work with samplers, drum machines and the like with the useable bass guitar range being quite tiny and elusive; the Frostwave for example. With so many parameters to deal with you could end up with a blown speaker or just no sound coming from the unit at all. Sometimes the simpler boxes can be better. I tried very hard to make some of these fancy boxes work in a live context, spending gobs of cash in the process. In the end, it's my original Mutron III that won out over ALL of them. It's consistency of tone and wet, greasy character puts all the others to shame. You know why? Because bass frequencies pack a whole lot o' sonic power ('natch) and the filters do not always respond to this well. You want a filter (like the old 'Tron) that is LESS sensitive in the bass-range. What you will end up with is a more even tone and much happier speaker cones.....

 

I own a moogerfooger low pass filter. This thing can make some great liquidy sounds. It is very customizable and very funky but so far i have a been a little less then impressed with the unit. First it is LOUD . lots of hiss whether in bypass or not. Also it is not true bypass and you can sometimes here the effect on when its in bypass mode. The hiss is the real problem here. It DOUBLES the noise from my amp when plugged in. I use an A/B bypass box to fix this problem but i think there is better filters out there for that kind of money (about 299 new... got mine for about 100 bucks )

the coolest thing about it is dropping the cutoff down with the expression pedal for serious sub sounds... hope this wont damage my 4x10

 

Here's the one for you Bigfeet.....takes up the whole floor and darn near close to 500 knobs by my count (math was never my strong point!) Now, where the heck would you plug in...?

 

Speaking of Evelope Filter's...

...MXR just came out with the M120 Auto Q
(list $134).

"...amazing little evelope fliter in extremely verstaile and provides lots of control. It's Range, Q, Rate, Band, and Decay controls let you deal in the exact wah sweep you want. It's Band switch selects the fequency ceiling where the effect will dominate.... 'superb sound quality.' "

It so new, I'm sure no one has had a chance to test drive it yet.

Looks similar to the new MXR M80 (!) Bass DI.

 

[QUOTE
"...amazing little evelope fliter in extremely verstaile and provides lots of control. It's Range, Q, Rate, Band, and Decay controls let you deal in the exact wah sweep you want. It's Band switch selects the fequency ceiling where the effect will dominate.... 'superb sound quality.' "

[/QUOTE]

Hmmmmm....I'd try that! I found a picture on the musicians freind site.

 

If you want a Flea envolope filter sound, go for the DOD Envelope Filter, they are cheap yet flexible.

 

Anyone thinking of buying a new filter should check out the line 6 FM4. For 300 bones you get them all.
great model of the oberhiem vcf.

 

Yah, in warm fuzzy digital. Brrr....

 

\
Accually, It has a remarkably authentic feel. I was a sceptic untill I gave the thing a chance, and it does the job well. Sure, the very dicriminating ear could pick up that it's not the real deal. But, that's to be expected. All the models sounded pretty gooey to me, and i've been through a bunch of filters.

 

yah, I tried it too and while some of the emulations sound darn close and all I just can't get past that "digital modeling" concept. What I love about filters is that big, fat, rippely analog thing and as close and as useable as these modeling boxes can be i just don't like 'em.